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Later in the Scottish Parliament, Social Justice Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville criticised the decision-making and lack of communication from the UK government. She said she first heard of the plans in September and wrote to the Home Office with concerns at that time but did not receive a reply. "I have been clear with the Home Office that these plans must fully consider the impact on the local community, and the appropriateness of the site to accommodate this group of people," she said. Somerville said the Scottish government had sought assurances that the barracks would have capacity to meet the asylum seekers' needs. She said Scotland had welcomed refugees and asylum seekers and urged the UK government to collaborate with Scottish authorities on the proposals. Meanwhile, Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar warned against people responding to the plans with fear. He said: "We have to be very, very careful that we are not magnifying a message that too many on the far-right want to portray every single person waiting for a decision by the Home Office as somehow a threat to our communities and our society." He defended the Home Office decision to use the barracks as the consequence of a "broken" asylum system. Highlands and Islands Conservative MSP Edward Mountain said his constituents were concerned about additional pressures on health services. Senior Highland councillors, the Scottish government and local politicians have raised concerns about the suitability of the barracks, and refugee charity Care4Calais has also condemned the plan.
